China News Service, Toronto, April 6 (Reporter Yu Ruidong) The Canadian federal government announced on April 5 that it proposed the "Online News Act" bill, which will require online platforms, especially online giants, to pay news media for the use of news content in the form of legislation.
The numbered Bill C-18 requires digital platforms to engage in fair business dealings with the media for the news and information they share in order to provide "fair compensation," respect independence, and promote diversity in news organizations.
The bill also allows media, large and small, to bargain collectively.
Arbitration proceedings can be avoided if digital platforms and news media reach a standard deal within a certain period of time.
More than 450 news organizations in the country have closed since 2008, with more than 60 of them closed during the past two years of the pandemic, according to figures provided by the Canadian government.
Over the past 12 years, Canada's television, radio, newspapers and magazines have lost C$4.9 billion in revenue, and journalism has lost at least a third of its jobs.
In 2020, Canada's online advertising revenue was C$9.7 billion, with more than 80% going to the two giants, Google and Metaverse-owned Facebook.
The Canadian government said it was "time to address this market imbalance."
Canadian officials admitted that Bill C-18 is based on similar legislation in Australia.
In June last year, the Canadian Press Association issued an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling on the Canadian government to adopt legislative measures to curb the monopoly of Internet giants Google and Facebook over the news media.
Before that, Australia passed legislation in February last year that required online giants such as Facebook and Google, which act as intermediaries in news distribution, to pay news organizations.
The European Commission published drafts of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act in December 2020, aimed at restricting network technology giants.
In March, the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission agreed on the Digital Markets Act.